François Bazin

François Emmanuel Joseph Bazin (4 September 18162 July 1878) was a well-known French opera composer active during the nineteenth century.

Biography Born in Marseille, Bazin was a student of Daniel Auber at the Conservatoire de Paris. After completing his education there and returning from his trip to Italy in 1844, Bazin later taught harmony at the Conservatoire. He was succeeded by his own student Émile Durand.

At age 23, Bazin's cantata Loyse de Montfort won the 1840 Prix de Rome. , which premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, is his best-known composition, and continued to be staged well into the 20th century. Although his many light operas were popular during his lifetime, they are rarely staged today. A handful of arias are still occasionally performed, including "Je pense à vous" from Maître Pathelin, recorded by Roberto Alagna.

Bazin died at age 61 in Paris.

Works Opéras comiques Le Trompette de Monsieur le Prince (Joubert and Mélesville), 1846 Le Malheur d'être jolie (Desnoyers), 1847 La Nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre (Mélesville and M. Masson), 1849 (Sauvage), 1852 Maître Pathelin (de Leuven and Langlé), 1856 Les Désespérés (de Leuven and Langlé), 1858 Marianne (Augustin Challamel) (unperformed) Le Voyage en Chine (Alfred Delacour and Eugène Labiche), 1865 L'Ours et le pacha (Scribe and Saintine), 1870